Ragnaleikr
by saplings
Summary: A re-enactment of Norse mythology and the events from Ragnarök; the gamepieces have been chosen, the players take the stage, and so begins the final chess game of the gods...


_Preface:_ Finally~finished this monster of a story; this is actually based on one of my developing novels, and I'm surprised that such a simple scene already spans six pages! It's a half-assed version of my writing though, but I hope that you may enjoy it

For those who may not know, Ragnarök is an apocalyptic series of events in Norse mythology that ultimately results in the death of major gods Odin, Thor, Freyr, Heimdall, and Loki; I'll let you figure the rest out...

Footnotes are included at the bottom of this page; please feel free to read them before reading this story, read them along with the story, or read them after completing the story

**†**Mythological Notes **–** About the events and characters of Ragnarök**  
#**Historical/Geographical Notes **–** The Hetalia-related points; factual information on countries and their legacies**  
%**Scientific/Environmental Notes **–** Explains any abnormalities in the story that were not otherwise resolved through mythology or history, such as why the sky is red et cetera et cetera**  
***Basic Notes **–** Anything that is considered relatively commonplace information, bonus knowledge, or not necessary to understand the story

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**Ragnaleikr**  
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Clouds of charred dust blotted the sun[%1][†2], diffused into the throats and nostrils of both combatants, so that a furl of black soot drifted from his cracked lips every time he exhaled. Norway winced as blood trickled from the gash in his side, pulsating breaths made more tedious by the clumps of tar that were building up in his system[%3].

_Fylliz fi__ǫ__rvi__  
feigra manna,  
rýðr ragna si__ǫ__t  
rauðom dreyra_

_It sates itself on the life-blood  
__of fated men,  
__paints red the powers'__ homes  
with crimson gore_

How did it come to this? Denmark; Finland; Sweden; all dead, their lands already swallowed by the rising deluge[†4]. If only he had realized sooner, about that dog's true form. He was young back then, but noticed and discerned the creatures that were conceived in his lands, so that the youth knew the moment it was born at Jotunheimen[#5], that the beast would mete destruction; in spite of all that, the lupine was a spawn of his land, and Norway was distraught at the thought of slaughtering any of his offspring. If the nation recalled correctly, he had chased the jötunn to the north and with the help of accompanying trolls, shackled the beast at Þórisvatn where they had caught it[†6][#7]. That was when he met Iceland, the battered boy who watched him critically through bright violet eyes[#8][#9], a puffin perched on his snowy-white hair and apparently unable to see the supernatural creatures that Norway associated with.

Then Norway forgot about the lupine, having exiled it to a land not his own; looking back now, he supposed that he could have blamed his own ego for setting this chain of events: believing that the binds would hold, concentrating on expanding his territory—even attacking England[#10]—then fighting for freedom. It was no surprise then, that Norway found out much too late; he and Finland were not close, and there had never been any mention of a dog during their time together with Sweden, then Denmark[#11]. It must have been after Finland left with Sweden, but he will never know how the beast managed to escape its prison and acquire such an unassuming form.

_Fara fíflmegir  
með freka allir,  
þeim er bróðir  
Byleists í för_

_After the wolf  
do wild men follow,  
And with them the brother  
of Byleist goes_

Rather, it must have begun before that, when a young Iceland ran to him exclaiming that the crows had died. There were three of them, which Norway had given to the smaller country when they first met; apparently, he heard the crows making a huge racket before suddenly being silenced[†12][#13]. The first one was found a mangled heap, while the third must have attempted to escape—nine droplets of blood leading away from the skirmish; they had trouble tracking down the second one, which left no traces save for a few tattered feathers. It was difficult to make out in the gnarled snow, but there were indeed small pawprints present at each site. Norway did not find this very unusual though, seeing as foxes were known to roam the area[*14]; the ravens were old anyways, and he promised Iceland another souvenir the next time he visited.

That too, had been dismissed once disease blanketed Europe[*15]; abscesses, pockmarks, fever...he, like everyone else, had been too crippled by the plague to concern himself with much else. So when he heard the howls from far away, heard the distant toll of churchbells from Iceland[†16], he had believed himself to be hallucinating, and told Sweden nothing when queried by the equally ailing nation.

_En annarr gelr  
fyr jörð neðan  
sótrauðr hani  
at sölum Heljar_

_And beneath the earth  
does another crow,  
The rust-red bird  
at the bars of Hel_

Recovery was slow[*17], and soon Norway found himself tethered to that annoying 'brother' Denmark along with the other Nordics. His resentment at the arrangement only surfaced through the odd tantrum[#18][†19], then eventually dissolved into a smouldering grudge.

He should have noted that something was wrong when he met Sweden again on the battlefield.

"'E needs m're space, 'n food. Growin' too fast.." were the words quoted from Sweden when Denmark had been too sullen about the loss and sent Finland to negotiate the terms with Norway instead[†20][#21]. Norway himself was too blinded by bitterness to make sense of Sweden's rationale, meting Finland grief and overlooking the grimy sling supporting Sweden's arm once they had arrived at his place [†22][†23]. It was not until Finland went missing, until Sweden left Norway alone in the house, and Denmark showed up at the doorstep, that he felt anxiety building like the tides that lapped up more and more of the Nordic shores.

_Vitoð ér enn, eða hvat?_

_Do you still seek to know? And what?_

Finland had lost something; Norway remembered the frantic look on the nation's cherub face, and now he can be sure that he had heard about a Hanatamago before Finland swung the door closed with a promise to return before nightfall[24†]. Shortly after midnight, Norway noticed the thin layer of fog seeping into the Scandinavian territories during his habitual ruminations by the window, and Sweden went out to look for his charge. Soon Norway found himself pacing in the darkness of the empty residence, unable to sleep as ashes and mist continued to roll past the dew-warped window.

Denmark had arrived at dawn the next morning, bringing with him a wave of heat and the smell of sulphur as Norway opened the door; the haze had yet to fade, and a sickly yellow tone coloured the morning sky. Denmark and his annoying grin inquired about the two, mentioning that Sweden had visited the former kingdom's place last night looking for Finland before travelling towards Norwegian territory. Norway immediately ordered Denmark to check Finland's house, then headed towards his own country.

_Sv__ǫ__rt verða sólskin  
of sumor eptir,  
veðr __ǫ__ll válynd_

_Black become the sun's beams  
in the summers that follow,  
weathers all treacherous_

A surge of homecoming overcame him once he stepped onto his own soil, but Norway had also noticed the unusual humidity in the region, as well as his own sulphur-induced nausea and the burns that were appearing on his skin; in fact, most of the land had become a bog. As he explored further, he found himself at the foot of Jotunheimen, staring up at the foreboding peaks that reached into the reddening sky, snow caps already sliding down the cliffs as ash-covered sludge. Here he remembered about a wolf that had been chased from his land, about three crows that had been killed by a small canine, about Sweden and Finland's need to feed a growing animal; the fairies and nisse had approached him then, having sensed the return of their master. He was informed of the events that had occurred since his leave—events neglected in the wake of invasion and disease—and hurried north to Finland's place where the escaped beast was last seen.

_Geyr nú Garmr mjök  
fyr Gnípahelli;  
festr man slitna,  
en freki renna_

_Now Garm howls loud  
before Gnipahellir;  
the fetters will burst,  
and the wolf run free_

It was at the Swedish-Finnish border that Norway found Finland's scalded and mutilated body, facedown in the thin layer of water that had begun to flow over the land. Upon brief examination, it was obvious that Finland did not even fight back, likely believing that the creature he faced was Hanatamago until the end[†25][*26]. The beast itself was not far away, its jaws torn cleanly in two and a pair of glasses along with a bloodied battle-axe lying near the corpse; Norway had only needed to take one glance at the open maw of the wolf to discover Denmark's fate, and hastily evacuated the scene, taking the axe that the annoying 'brother' lovingly called Gungnir with him[†27][*28]. It was not difficult to find Sweden's body next to the Norwegian border, but he nearly stumbled over it all the same—nine drops of blood trailing from his body[†29]. Norway knelt down to brush his hands over Sweden's face, closing those icy blue eyes forever; the skin was still warm: they had perished only moments ago.

The shock was so sudden that Norway had not noticed Iceland's approach until a vibration disturbed the translucent air, and he twisted around just in time to avoid decapitation by the bladed spear[#30], recoiling with a gaping wound in his side.

_Brœðr muno beriaz  
ok at b__ǫ__nom verða  
muno systrungar  
sifiom spilla._

_Brothers will fight  
and kill each other,  
sisters' children  
will defile kinship_

Norway winced as blood trickled from the gash, studying his younger assailant; they had not seen each other since the 1600s, when Denmark had isolated the brothers into separate areas of his house before Norway was finally taken by Sweden[#31]. The island nation had grown, likely surpassing Finland's height, but what was more apparent were the scorches and sunken scars that marked every inch of his face and skin[#32].

Before Norway could question the nation, Iceland rushed again and swung. A tingling sound pierced the air and Norway leapt back, the familiar charge of battle surging through his joints. He gripped Gungnir tightly.

"Iceland," he breathed. "Don't do this.."

There was a moment before Iceland responded, and Norway was preoccupied with dispelling the tar-like phlegm in his throat.

"Kirkju's gone."

"What?"

"Laki...Laki bursted," Iceland's damaged hands clutched the atgeir shakily. "Steingrímsson, he didn't make it. Then...then Höfn was flooded over, we lost Reykjavík too..[*33][#34]"

"Iceland, I.." So that was why the weather had been strange lately, but what was Norway supposed to say? That he was sorry about leaving Iceland for more than two hundred years, even though he was forced to? That he could not help Iceland when England and his pirates invaded[#35], smallpox broke out, and Laki erupted, even if he had known? That Finland, Sweden, and Denmark are dead because he left a monster on Iceland's territory? But Iceland was not waiting for an answer.

"That's why..I need to do something," Iceland choked out, tightening his grip on his weapon. "I'm sick of this. I need to help my people. They..we need power."[*36]

Norway swallowed a hitch in his throat. "Haven't you taken enough already?!" Even many centuries later, his legs felt weak and his backside still ached; Iceland had been persistent about standing up for Finland after fighting with them on behalf of Denmark, but it was still a shock that the youngest Nordic had decided to react so violently when confronted, going as far as to..Norway never told Denmark, but that did not stop him from separating the brothers, and it became their last encounter with each other[#37][†38][#39].

_Hart er í heimi,  
hórdómr mikill_

_It is harsh in the world,  
whoredom rife_

The manoeuvre was swift, and Norway only had time to cry out and squeeze his right shoulder, where the arm had been severed and now laid on the damp earth; Iceland turned to his brother coolly, merely surging forward for another strike. Reacting on instinct, Norway's bloody fingers reached for the battle-axe, snatching it from his discarded arm and swinging a wide arc in front of him. A thick cut appeared across Iceland's chest and he immediately fell back, nursing the new wound.

—_skegg__ǫ__ld, skálm__ǫ__ld_  
—_skildir ro klofnir—_

—_an axe age, a sword age (and the sun rises)_  
—_shields are riven—_

"Iceland.." Norway sucked a mouthful of air and ashes, steering his mind away from the gaping hole in his right shoulder. "You don't have to do this. We can find another way. Just listen to me—"

"No!" Iceland cried emphatically, stopping Norway cold. "I don't want to be ruled over any longer. My people will be independent, and free. For that to happen, you'll have to come with me!"

He thrusted the atgeir forward. Norway took another gulp of air; so this was it[*40]. This was the way it was going to be. Both of them were too proud and stubborn to accept governance under another; fitting, being brothers. Norway himself was not apt to be invaded again, having fought for so long to get this far. A moment of understanding passed between blue and violet; with the flood and volcanic eruptions, Iceland's land would be uninhabitable soon, and Norway was the closest country with the resources necessary for sustenance. Resources that can only guarantee one existence.

A flurry of ashes and earth went airborne, accompanied by the clash of parrying weapons. Iceland's spear whistled through the fog, and Norway fell against the mud in his efforts to counter it. Struggling to stand with only one arm for support, he saw Iceland diving for the final blow and impulsively kicked the damaged boy, soles digging into the torn flesh on his chest. Iceland immediately retreated, hacking blood and ashes as Norway stumbled to his feet, following up with a series of exchanges that left a puncture in Iceland's thigh.

_vind__ǫ__ld, varg__ǫ__ld—  
áðr ver__ǫ__l__d steypiz.  
Mun engi maðr  
ǫ__ðrom þyrma._

_a wind age, a wolf age—  
before the world goes headlong.  
No man will have  
mercy on another_

Another intake of breath between the two nations, and Iceland advanced with a battle cry, atgeir held high and brought down upon the surprised Norway. A pained yell resounded into the ashen sky, the spear having sliced across Norway's face and disabling his eye. His cross barrette was also split in two, the bloodstained pieces falling to the ground. Iceland wasted no time and charged again, atgeir resonating. Half-blinded, Norway responded in like manner, brushing the damaged eye briefly before readjusting Gungnir in his hands and racing forward. Only a shock of pain told him what happened next.

Iceland's spear was skewered into Norway's heart, while Gungnir had nearly severed Iceland's stomach, the slash boring halfway into the boy's body. Wide steel-blue eyes froze in realization as both nations collapsed onto the flowing water.

Norway only heard one last word before falling into the darkness.

"O..nii...chan.."  
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_

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Story Notes: _Retrieved from Wikipedia, February 11**–**16 2010_

[1] Volcanic ash tends to choke the atmosphere, drastically altering the colour of the sky and wreaking environmental havoc in severe cases; one theory suggests this to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs

[2] A few of the events in Ragnarök describe steam rising as well as the sun and/or its rays turning black

[3] Not only does inhaling volcanic ash pose possible respiratory problems, but its combination with moisture in the lungs can create a substance akin to liquid cement

[4] Another event foretold in Ragnarök is the submersion of the world in water

[5] Jotunheimen is a mountain range in southern Norway, named after the homeland of the giants in Norse mythology, Jötunheimr

[6] Fenrir was a monstrous wolf conceived by Loki and prophesized to bring misfortune, thus the gods met Fenrir at the lake Amsvartnir and bound him on the island Lyngvi until the onset of Ragnarök

[7] Iceland is an island nation located north of Norway, across the Norwegian Sea; Þórisvatn is the largest lake in Iceland and located central-south of the country

[8] Iceland was settled around 874, and according to Himaruya's research its first inhabitants were from Norway; gives you an idea of the story's timeline

[9] The Sturlung Era, a period of internal strife and civil conflict in Iceland from 1220-1264, was claimed by some to have been the bloodiest and most violent period in its history; it ended with the signing of the Old Covenant agreement, which placed Iceland under Norwegian rule

[10] Also known as the Viking Age, the 8th-11th centuries were characterized by expansion and emigration by Viking seafarers; from 984-994, Norwegian king Olav Tryggvasson raided the United Kingdom with 390 ships and even attacked London

[11] Norway had entered a union with Sweden around 1319 after King Haakon V of Norway's death, who left no male heirs except his daughter's son, Magnus Eriksson, King of Sweden, to take the throne; Finland was a part of the Swedish kingdom since 1249; the Kalmar Union, which linked Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Iceland, was formed in 1397

[12] The Völuspá, a famous Old Norse poem from the Poetic Edda anthology, describes Ragnarök as beginning with the crowing of three roosters

[13] Flóki Vilgerðarson was the first Norseman to deliberately sail to Iceland from Norway during the 9th century, using three ravens for navigation

[14] Arctic Foxes were the only native land mammals when humans arrived at Iceland

[15] The Black Death began spreading throughout Europe around 1349

[16] Fenrir howling and the god Heimdall blowing his horn were also events that signalled the coming of Ragnarök

[17] Although the death rate among the population of Norway was not more than Europe at large, economic recovery following the plague took much longer in Norway than the rest of Europe because of the small and thinly scattered population

[18] In the 1530s during the Denmark-Norway union, Norway had requested foreign assistance _twice_ to have the country invaded in order to fight off the Danish..both attempts failed

[19] Lokasenna, another Old Norse poem in the Poetic Edda, details Loki quarrelling with the other gods during a banquet; this ends with Loki being shackled by the gods

[20] Fenrir was initially raised by the gods until they noticed Fenrir's rapid growth

[21] Sweden, along with Finland, left the Kalmar Union around 1523 and regularly warred against Denmark-Norway over territory, until Norway was completely ceded to Sweden after 1814; this was accompanied by a short revolt from the Norwegians, which was unsuccessful (oh Norway why made of so much fail)

[22] Odin, chief god in Norse mythology, brother of Loki and father of Heimdall, sent Freyr's messenger Skírnir to ask some dwarves to make the fetter for binding Fenrir

[23] Only the god Týr had the courage to feed Fenrir, and lost his right hand when Fenrir was finally bound

[24] Freyr fell in love with a female jötunn and had to give away his sword in order to take her as a wife; this loss would ultimately cause his demise at Ragnarök

[25] Freyr fought the fire jötunn Surtr during Ragnarök and since he gave away his sword previously, was doomed to die

[26] Steam is a common cause of scalding

[27] Odin was eaten by the wolf Fenrir at Ragnarök and avenged by his son Víðarr, who tore apart the monster's upper and lower jaw, effectively killing it; Gungnir is Odin's magical spear, obtained from the dwarves by Loki

[28] The Danish axe appeared on the Coat Of Arms of Norway in 1280

[29] Thor, companion of Loki, fights the serpent Jörmungandr at Ragnarök, emerging victorious but only able to take nine steps before falling dead from venom poisoning

[30] An atgeir was a type of polearm used in Iceland and Viking-Age Scandinavia, though most likely resembled a glaive; the most famous one was owned by Icelandic chieftain Gunnar Hámundarson, and it was said to ring when enemies were slain

[31] In 1602 Iceland was forbidden to trade with countries other than Denmark, by order of the Danish government; this monopoly would remain in effect until 1854

[32] 1783 marked the Mist Hardships, when the Laki volcano in Iceland erupted with devastating effects throughout Europe and even North America lasting many years; shortly before that, a smallpox epidemic had killed around one-third of the Icelandic population

[33] Kirkjubæjarklaustur is a village not far from the Laki volcano; Jón Steingrímsson was a pastor of the church there, who allegedly tried stopping the lava flow with a sermon

[34] Höfn is a fishery town near the southeastern coast of Iceland, close to Kirkjubæjarklaustur; Reykjavík is the capital of Iceland, located on the southwestern coast; most of interior Iceland is uninhabitable

[35] England, Spain, and Algeria raided Iceland in the 17th century, kidnapping inhabitants as slaves and burning others alive in churches; this is in addition to being one of the poorest countries in Europe at the time (Iceland, such a woobie...)

[36] The Icelandic independence movement began around the middle of the 19th century, with the restoration of the general assembly claiming a return to the Icelandic Commonwealth, a system that was established by Norwegian immigrants in 930 and ended in 1262 with Norway taking over Iceland

[37] Lutheranism was imposed on Norway and Iceland by Denmark in the 1520s; Iceland continued to fight against the Lutherans after Norway was converted around 1536 and full autonomy was assumed by Denmark; Finland converted around 1550, but did not become official until 1593

[38] Before the events of Ragnarök, Heimdall engaged in a fight with Loki to retrieve Freyja's stolen necklace, and won; Freyja and Freyr were siblings

[39] It was a custom during the Viking Age for defeated foes to be raped as an affirmation between the powerful and the subdued; I'll let you make of that what you will...

[40] Heimdall and Loki were destined to be the last of the gods to perish at Ragnarök, when they would slay each other  
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Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction for entertainment purposes only, no commercial gain was or ever will be sought from this publication by the author or any third parties; names, characters, places and incidents were borrowed fictitiously. Hetalia is owned by Himaruya Hidekazu, with permission granted for non-commercial usage  
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**  
Author's Postscript:** Fandom needs more Seme!Iceland..  
I swore that Norway also (caught Hinamizawa Syndrome)went crazy somewhere during the course of the story, and the story veered into horror O_o;  
Speaking of horror, I've realized that I made a loophole the size of Nazca; who _really_ killed the three Nordics, Hanatamago or Iceland? Did Hanatamago die from Denmark, Sweden, or Iceland?? One can make an argument that Norway killed them all, though...  
This will officially be dubbed as 'that fic where Iceland pulls a ("usoda!")holyshitwtf and everyone dies'**  
****  
**

In case anyone is still confused about the events in the story (because Norway is such a terrible storyteller)or would like some point of reference, here is a rough timeline of the occurrences during the course of this story. All years are approximations

~874: Iceland is settled by Norwegians  
~1220-1264: Sturlung Era  
~1249: Finland unites with Sweden  
~1319: Norway unites with Sweden  
~1349: Black Death reaches Europe  
~1397: Kalmar Union established with Denmark, Sweden, Norway Finland, Iceland  
~1523: Sweden and Finland leave the Kalmar Union, dissolving the organization  
~1530s: Norway revolts against Denmark twice and fails  
~1602: Icelandic trade isolated to Denmark  
~1627: Turkish Abductions; England, Spain, and Algeria raid Iceland  
~1783: Mist Hardships begin; Laki volcano erupts  
~1814: Norway ceded from Denmark to Sweden; Iceland remains a dependent of Denmark  
~1840s: Icelandic Independence Movement


End file.
